Wired

THE newly released Nightstick (NSP-2422) Dual-Light flashlight from Bayco Products is not your average hand-held light.

The flashlight portion turns on and off with the press of a button like most others but has a range of almost 200 metres with the power of the included three AA batteries.

For flashlight junkies (that crowd does exists, I've met many of them) the CREE LED is rated at 130 lumens.

With the name "Dual" there must be another feature and for sure there is. On the handle, there's another button, this one for a floodlight (110 lumens) built into the bottom side of the body.

It's designed for putting light on objects that are close and I found it to be of great use on night walks with my dog to light up the sidewalk approaching step by step.

You can have both lights on at once or each independently. There's also a belt clip on the flashlight along with a hand strap.

Another handy feature is a built-in magnet on the bottom of the handle enabling it to hold onto nuts, bolts and screws while working on a project.

Details: $23; www.mynightstick.com

Sound reasoning

WHEN it comes to judging sound, a colleague once told me you don't have to be an expert. He said you'll know good sound when you hear it and you'll know bad sound when you hear it.

When it comes to Jabra, you can almost be guaranteed that it will sound good.

After cranking up the new Jabra Solemate Max portable Bluetooth (3.0) speaker I instantly concluded that is doesn't sound good.

It sounds GREAT.

I give it my all-important "wow factor" award right off the blocks, which isn't easy to get. Just ask... well I won't mention others. You only need to know about this Jabra speaker's sound and features.

I did get a demo on the speaker at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, but hearing it in a convention center doesn't compare to cranking it up at home.

The speaker is heavy, weighing three kilograms and measuring 30 by 10 by 14 centimetres. For the most part it's like having a great looking brick (with a carrying handle), pump out amazing sound.

It's a little pricey, but you're getting a great product for the money.

It has a battery good for up to 14 hours, which also has a port to use for charging a smartphone while playing your tunes. There's a battery status indicator to let you know when a charge is needed.

The speaker lets you control some functions of the device sending the music and has a built-in microphone for taking calls.

It comes with all the cables you'll need for charging or connecting a device directly with a 3.5mm audio connection.

Details: $399 available in black and grey versions; www.jabra.com

Mini Me, mighty sound

WHEN it comes to big things in small packages the X-Mini Me thumb-sized speaker is exactly that.

At first glance you wouldn't guess it's a speaker, but once you pop open the lid and connect it to your media source with the included three-way USB cable, you'll see what I mean.

It looks like a miniature barrel with rubber sides, measuring just 4.5-centimetres high and a little less than that in diameter with a weight of just 40 grams.

The volume is controlled from the device outputting the music; all you do on the speaker is turn it on and off.

The 31mm speaker has a speaker output of 1.5W. A 2300mAh lithium-ion battery will give you about six hours of use before a two-hour USB charge is needed.

A lanyard also is included to attach to the built-on clip.

A Bluetooth version (X-mini WE) to go wireless is good for about five hours of playback. A micro-USB cord is included for charging.

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